If you are a fan of podcasts, you might take a second to listen to the audio stylings of D.S. Murphy’s own Mike Miller. Mike is a Registered Trainee and has been with the company for less than a year but the fire has been lit within him to share his passion for the industry. Hailing from a real estate and appraisal family, he was born in Georgia (attended Fernbank Elementary) but moved to Daytona, FL shortly after.
Mike described his childhood as the typical “latchkey kid life.” He had a single mom and spent many afternoons reading, doing homework and just being a really good kid. As long as he followed the “do your homework, don’t touch the stove,” mantra, he was ok. He wasn’t a big fan of the Daytona area because there always seemed to be too many parties. People would show up for one celebration/race or another and leave trash everywhere and the cycle would continue. After high school Mike worked in garage door installation, where he quickly realized he hated working with his hands. One day he picked up Jay Conrad Levinson’s “Guerilla Marketing,” and he changed his entire focus.
In 1988, he married his high school sweetheart, Shelly which ultimately brought him to Atlanta. Shelly took a job in operations at a payroll company in Georgia. He became a web developer but that entrepreneurial spirit didn’t leave him. He started his own marketing and web development company (Mindwhirl). Mike is no stranger to the crash of 2008. The once thriving business from the early 2000s was making 5% of its previous annual revenue by then. He began to do lead generation for professional services but learned it was an accounting nightmare.
Through it all, one thing was consistent, Mike kept moving forward and engaging his creativity. He never stopped trying new things, pivoting, no matter what. The entrepreneur in him will always win out. Through his podcast (which you will learn about more in a future issue), Mike is hoping to diversify his knowledge in the industry. He will be interviewing agents, brokers, inspectors (he interviewed Mark Caffiers) and anyone tangentially related to the industry, hoping to find out what keeps their passion for the business alive. I have no doubt he will be able to connect and uncover some pearls of real estate wisdom.
I asked Mike Miller the following questions…
Q: What made you want to be an appraiser?
A: My grandmother was a top real estate agent in Conyers. My aunt, step-mother and step-brother are all appraisers and my uncle is a real-estate developer in Seattle. I knew I needed a mentor so I opened up the phone book. Down the list, I called D.S. Murphy. I talked to Steve King, had lunch with Grant and the rest is history.
Q: What would you like to do when you are no longer appraising?
A: Sit on a beach, drink mai tais and be that old man with a metal detector.
Q: What the weirdest thing you have come across when inspecting/appraising?
A: I was inspecting a property with Grant and you couldn’t breathe in it. It had been gutted and there were spiders and crickets everywhere, no utilities – it was certainly a learning experience. Grant used this time to talk about how to do an unbiased appraisal and using the comps right around the house to tell the story or predict the future. We also had to do the property subject to a major renovation and addition of a second story.
Q: Something no one knows about you?
A: I draw, paint, produce music, do a podcast and create videos. I always need a creative piece.
Q: What’s your current favorite podcast?
A: “Something Rhymes with Purple” with Susie Dent
Q: What words of wisdom can you share with the team?
A: Always be developing relationships not “always be closing.” I thought about Grant sometimes during training and how lucky he is to have a black book of people he knows. If you create your network, it can always help you. I wish I had known that when I was younger.
If you are interested in listening to Mike’s Atlanta Real Estate podcast, you can tune in on most podcast platforms, on his website (atlantarealestatepodcast.com), or on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/@atlantarealestatepodcast